FORT MITCHELL — When NPR, NBC Nightly News and C-Span wanted to do reports this week on how the federal government shutdown is affecting local businesses, they called Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce president Steve Stevens.

And Stevens, knowing the national exposure would be good for the local business community, accommodated them, even as he was also preparing to announce his departure from the chamber after nearly 20 years.

It’s one of the many examples of Stevens’ dedication to Northern Kentucky and the respect he commands both within and outside of the region.

For nearly two decades, he has been among a handful of community leaders with the authority to speak for the entire region – and to make others listen. Soon, however, we will lose that voice: Stevens announced Wednesday that he plans to leave the chamber after nearly eight years as its president and 12 years heading up its lobbying efforts.

No departure date has been set, but February will mark his 20th year with the influential business group.

In an exclusive in-person interview with the Enquirer, he said the 20-year mark felt like the right time to make a move, personally and professionally. Stevens, 52, lives in Taylor Mill with his wife of 29 years, Marilyn. Their sons are in college.

“I’ve been giving this some thought for some time now, maybe as many as two years,” he said. “Sometimes in life, you’ve got to make a big jump and a leap. Even if you’re comfortable, you’ve got to kind of push yourself.”

An avid marathon runner, Stevens said he’s seeking his “second wind” and wants to try something new. He is considering other jobs in both the Chamber world and the private sector.

As just the fourth president in the Chamber’s 44-year history, Stevens steered the 1,700-member group through the worst recession since the Great Depression, achieved five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and made the chamber’s international trade program one of the best in the nation.

He navigated the waters of Washington, D.C., and Frankfort to find legislative and political solutions to problems such as improving the region’s infrastructure, education, tax climate and workforce.

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And he cemented the Chamber’s role as an organization that sets the tone on the issues of the day. Under Stevens, it has led the charge to replace the Brent Spence Bridge, improve air service at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and improve education across Northern Kentucky.

“He’s one of the most influential leaders in our community,” said Brent Cooper, former chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors. “There are just a few people who come to mind when I think of the top leaders in Northern Kentucky, and he’s on that list. He has been and continues to be a terrific servant leader.”

The Chamber is, first and foremost, an advocate for the needs of the business community. But in a region of 373,000 people, 37 cities and three counties, it is also the one organization with the clout to bring business, political and community leaders together to tackle common problems and build consensus around solutions.

Much of the credit goes to Stevens’ collaborative leadership style and his deep roots in the community. As a native of Northern Kentucky, he knows the regional and local divides and how to bridge them, and few people in the region know how to navigate Frankfort better.

“He’s been a mentor to many people in the business community, and a friend and an ally to those trying to move the community forward,” Cooper said.

During the mid-1990s, amid an outcry over whether local governments in Northern Kentucky should be consolidated, Stevens helped bring local officials together to find efficiencies and ways to better work together.

His first legislative coup came in 1994, when he worked with local lawmakers on a bill to fund the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corp. (Tri-ED) through a 3 percent tax on rental cars. Twice, the bill died – and twice it was resurrected. The funding helped Tri-ED become the economic development powerhouse it is today.

Stevens has also led the Northern Kentucky Consensus Committee, the business, political and community leaders who identify the region’s top needs and lobby for funding from Frankfort. Its successes include the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington and Gateway Community and Technical College’s Boone County campus.

“I feel very lucky to have had this job, because I got so many different experiences out of it and skills that were honed while I was here,” he said. “I’m very thankful for that.”

The Chamber board plans to conduct a national search for a new president, and Stevens plans to help guide the organization through the transition.

But when he does hang up his suit coat and turn out the lights in a few weeks or months, the region will lose one of its most tireless advocates and steady leaders.⬛